Coin-controlled mechanism



No v.5 1929. I L.H.MQR1N 1,134 39 COIN CONTROLLED MECHANI SM Filed Oct. 5, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR- L 0 a m H. Nor/x7 V BY ATTORNEY Nov. 5, 1929. MORIN 1,734,739

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM Filed Oct. 5, 1927 5 Sheets-Sh et.- 2

ATTORNEY Nov. 5, 1929. L. H. MORIN 1,734,739

' pom CONTROLLED MECHANISM Filed Oct. 1927 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY lou/ls H. Mar/)2.

Patented Nov. .5, 1929 LOUIS H. MORIN, OF NEW. YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO r1: DOEI-ILER VENDING MACHINES, INCL, A CORPORATION O13 NEW YORK COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM Application filed October 5, 1927. Serial No; 224,051.

Ooin controlled devices are extensively employed for rendering conveniently available tothe public a wide variety of service, and the construction and manner of operation ofthe coin controlled mechanism of such 19 parts is required, merely the insertion of a coin into the coin controlled mechanism is all that the customer needs to do. In cases where it "is required to transmit movement and power through the coin controlled mechanism to a secondary mechanism which provides the service, for thereby operating and controlling the operation of the latter mechanism, or for storing energy therein to cause it to operate, such coin controlled devices are made manually operable. In such devices a coin is inserted and then the entire device or apparatus is operated by means of a suitable handle. In some cases the handle is directly connected to'the secondary or service mechanism and the coin controlled mechanism is merely unlocked by means of the coin. In other cases the handle connected parts of the coin controlled mechanism are normally free or disconnected from the parts of the coin controlled mechanism which are connected to the service mechanism and are caused to be coupled or clutched thereto by the inserted coin. Often the coin itself directly forms the coupling or driving connection, and a coin controlled mechanism of this type is disclosed in my copending application for patent for vending machines, Serial No. 39,442, filed June 25, 1925, which became Patent No. 1,723,948, August 6, 1929. This type of coin controlled mechanism is satisfactory Where only a relatively small amount of power is to be transmitted through such mechanism. However, where considerable power is to be thus transmitted, this type of mechanism is undesirable for a number of reasons, important among which is that the coin which formsthe coupling or drivingconnection is liable to be bent, or otherwise mutilated. In another type of coin controlled mechanism the inserted Coin is effective to operate a coupling memberordevice which couples or clutches the handleconnected parts of the mechanism to the parts thereof which are connected to the secondary or service-providing mechanism, and the coin controlled mechanism of my present invention belongs to this latter type.

One object of this invention is to provide a coin controlled mechanism whichis par ticularlyadapted forheavy duty. Other 0b jects are to provide a construction which is simple, strong, durable, effective and inexpensive to manufacture. Other objects and advantages of the invention Will hereinafter appear. 1

While the embodiment of my "invention disclosed herein is shown as'embodied in or installed in a vending machine having a delivery mechanism of a particular kind which is operated and controlled by means of the coin controlled mechanism, it is evident'that the delivery mechanism-could as well be of a different kind. For example, my application for patentfor article dispenser, Serial No. 391,006, filed September 7, 1929, shows this same coincontrolled mechanism as employed to operate a delivery mechanism of a differentconstruction. is further to be understood that coin] controlled mechanism according to this inven tion, either in the form thereof shown or with suitable modification, is well adapted to be embodied in various kinds of dispensing devices other than those commonly known as vending machines and, in "fact,' may be embodied in a substantially wide variety of service-providing devices to advantage. It may be employed, not only to deliver or dispense packages, as shown, but also may be employed for rendering an entirely different form of service. For example, a'suitablymodified embodiment of this invention has been employed to effect the dispensing or vending of electric current, and forms the subject of'my copending application for patent Serial No. 224,052, filed October 5,1927.

In carrying out this invention, some-of the features disclosed and claimed in my above noted prior Patent No. 1,723,948, have been retained, while other features have been al tered and further features have been incorporated. For example, the construction of the coin carrier and its immediate adjuncts is substantially the same as in this earlier patent, while the magnet feature thereof is claimed in my copending divisional application Serial No. 133,615, filed September 4,

1926, which became Patent No. 1,657,836, January 31, 1928. The feature disclosed herein by which the coin carrier is locked in a position to close the coin slot against the insertion of a coin when the magazine of the delivery mechanism requires replenishing is substantially similar to that claimed in my copending application Serial No. 205,285, filed July 13, 1927, which became Patent No. 1,728,901 Sept. 17, 1929, as a division of Serial No. 64,501, filed October 24, 1925, which became Patent No. 1,652,540, December 13, 1927. Also the particular delivery mechanism per se shown herein is substantially the same as that claimed in my application SerialNo. 78,265, filed December 30, 1925, which became Patent No. 1,722,230, July 23, 1929 and which also shows substantially the same construction for closing the coin slot. 7 r

The invention includes various features of construction and combinations of parts, which are set forth in the appended claims, and as will appear fromthe following description of one embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the line 11 of Fig. 2, taken for the most part just back of the front plate and the doors, showing parts of the coin controlled mechanism and of the delivery mechanism' at the left and bottom in front elevation, the right side and upper parts of the vending machine being broken away; I

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with some of the parts onthe section line shown in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a.rear elevation of the coin controlled mechanism removed from the vending machine and with most of its connections to the delivery mechanism omitted;

Fig. 4 is a reversed plan view of the same, as seen from above in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Figs. 2 and 6 just back of the main frame plate, showing, in elevation, rear parts of the coin controlled mechanism as viewed from the front;

Fig. 6 is a transverse substantially horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Figs. 1 and 5, with some of the parts on the section line appearing in plan view, Figs. 5 and 6 being drawn to a somewhat larger scale than the preceding figures and being substantially the full size of the mechanism;

Fig.7 is a reduced front view of the vend- The delivery mechanism which is shown as operated and controlled by the coin controlled mechanism of this invention comprises a pair of laterally spaced endless vertically arranged carrier chains 1 and 2 having, respectively, carrier lugs 3 and 4 between which the ends of packages 5 (Fig. 1) are received and supported to be moved downward and delivered from the lower ends of the chains and to the outside of the machine at the front through a curved delivery chute 6. At their upper ends the carrier chains 1 and 2 run over idler sprockets 7 and 8 and at their lower ends run over similar sprockets 9 and 10 which are driving sprockets. The sprocket 9 is fixed on a shaft 11 and the sprocket 10 is fixed on a shaft 12. These shafts are coupled together for unitary rotation in opposite directions by means of a transverse shaft 13 provided at the left end with a bevel pinion 14 which is driven by a bevel pinion 15 fixed on the shaft 11, and this transverse shaft 13 is provided at its right. end with a bevel pinion 16 which drives a bevel pinion 17 fixed on the shaft 12, these four bevel pinions all being of the same size.

In the vending machine shown, the lower left hand shaft 11 of the delivery mechanism, together with its pinion 15, is connected to the coin controlled mechanism by which the delivery mechanism is operated and controlled. This shaft 11 is normally locked by the coin controlled mechanism, and in the machine shown has a quarter turn clockwise rotation imparted thereto by the coin-controlled mechanism at each operation of the machine, thereby to move the inner runs of the carrier chains 1 and 2 downward a step and deliver a package 5, whereupon the shaft 11 .is again locked by the coin controlled mechanism, thereby locking the carrier chains against movement. The construction and manner of operation of the coin controlled mechanism shown in the drawings as one embodiment of the invention will now be de scribed.

A spur gear 18 is fixed upon the shaft 11 and, for simplicity of manufacture, the bevel pinion 15 is formed in the same piece therewith. The gear 18 is engaged and operated by a similar gear 19, shown as of the same diameter, which is carried by a rotatable operating member and, forsimplicity of construction, is formed on the periphery thereof in the same piece therewith. The rotatable member 20 is loosely journaled on a stud shaft 21 which projects rearwardly from a boss 22 which is formed on .the rear of a main frame piece 23 which is mostly in the form of a vertical transverse plate. This main frame part 23 is secured in place by means of three screws 24 entering lugs 25 provided in the vending machine casing 26. An auxiliary frame piece27 is secured to the front and upper part of the main frame piece 23 by means of a pair of screws 28 and the uppermost screw 24. The forward end of the operating shaft 11 and also the driving pinion 14 for the shaft 13 are journaled in this auxiliary frame part 27.

It may now be noted that, so far as the coin controlled mechanism is concerned, the operating shaft 11 which extends rearward from the spur gear 18 could as well be connected to some other form of delivery mechanism or to any kind of dispensing or service device which requires to be operated and controlled in substantially the same manner as the delivery mechanism shown. It might also be noted that in a slightly modified form of the invention or in a different application thereof, the two intermediary first and second connecting gears 18 and 19 might be omitted, and in such case the rotatable operating member 20 fixed directly upon an operating shaft corresponding to the shaft '11 to extend rearwardly therefrom, but the particular connecting means shown has advantages in construction .and operation, as will presently more clearly appear.

Normally, the rotatable operating member 20 is positively locked against rotative movement in either direction and thereby similarly locks the carrier chains 1 and 2 against traveling movement. For this purpose, the rotatable member 20 is provided in its forward face with four abrupt faced circumferential equidistant notches or looking recesses 29. A coin operated locking lever 30 of the first order is pivoted on a pin 31 betweena pair of lugs 32 on the rear face of the main frame plate 23. a This lever has a locking end 33 which is normally engaged in one of the notches 29 and which projects forwardly where it is supported and guided in a slotted hole 34 through the frame plate 23, this hole being shown as continued in larger dimensions through the auxiliary frame plate 27. a

A coiled expansion spring 35 housed in an opening through the main frame plate 23 seats against the auxiliary frame plate 27, and presses the adjacent locking arm of the lever 30 rearwardly to urge its locking end 33 into locking engagement with the rotatable operating member 20. The other or releasing arm of the locking lever 30 is provided with a forwardly projecting cam end 36 which is guided inaslotted hole 37 through the main frame plate 23 beyond which it projects and has an inclined cam face which terminates in an acute angle towards the adjac'ent end of the lever. The inclined face of this cam end 36 is to be engaged by the rear edge of a moving coin, thereby to withdraw the locking end 33 from one of the re-.

cesses 29preparatory to the imparting of a teeth 39, the abrupt faces of which are di-.

rected counter-clockwise when viewed from therear, as'in Fig. 3, for the clockwise ro- L tation of this member 20, as also viewed from the rear, and for its counter-clockwise rotation when viewed from the front, as in Figs. 1 and 5. These teeth .39 are engaged by an operating pawl 40 pivoted on a .stud

.41 carried by a tail arm ofthe pinion segment 38 and pressed into engagement by a bent wire spring 42 on the pinion segment to which it is anchored .at one end and is held by means of a small stud 43. In the normal position of the pinion segment 38 the end of the driving pawl 40 has some freedom or space for lost motion with the pawl teeth 7 39 which serves as a part of the means to assure that the rotatable member 20 is in an unlocked condition when driving power is appliedthereto by the pinion segment 38.

The inion segment 38 isengaged' by the teeth of a rocking gear segment 44 which is loosely journaledon the rear reduced'end of a rocking operating shaft 45 from which it is normally disconnected so as not to :be 0perated thereby, whereby this gear segment forms an initial operating member for the above described parts through which the shaft 11 is rotated to operate the delivery mechanism shown or other suitable dispensing device. This gear segment is shown as substantially in the form of an arm which extends at an upward inclination from its journal shaft 45. For convenience of manu facture, the segmental toothed portion thereof is a separate piece secured in place by rivets 46 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 6).

The arm of the gear segment 44 normally abuts at its lower edge against a stop stud 47 which projects from the rear of the main frameplate 23. A coiled retractile return spring 48 for the gear segment is connected thereto near the outer end thereof by means of a stud 49 from which the spring'extends downward and is anchored at its lower end to a stud 50 on the end of a boss 51 which projects from the main frame plate 23. The rocking operating shaft 45 extends through the main frame plate 23 and is journaled therein by means of a boss 52 formed thereon at the rear to provide a bearing.

Between its rear reduced portion on which the gear segment 44 is journaled and its larger bearing portion which is journaled in the boss 52, the operating shaft 45 is shown as shouldered to form an intermediate squared portion. Between the rear end of the bearing boss 52 and the gear segment 44 a rocking lever arm 53 is fixed on the rocking operating shaft 45 by means of its squared portion to be rocked thereby. This lever arm is immediately adjacent to the front face of the gear segment arm 44 and normally extends substantially in the same direction. This lever arm 53 forms a normally inefiective freely idly movable driving member for'the gear segment arm 44, from which it is normally disconnected. A normally ineffective coupling device, to be made effective by the moving coin, is provided for coupling or connecting the lever arm 53 to the gear segment arm 44 so that this gear segment will then be driven by the lever arm 53 in the forward rocking movement of the latter, and the particular coupling device shown as provided for this purpose will now be described.

Above the rocking operating shaft 45 and parallel thereto a star wheel shaft 54 is ournaled in and projects at both ends beyond a bearing55 formed on the main frame plate 23 at the top thereof. -Acoin-driven star wheel 56 is fixed upon the front end of this shaft, for rotating the latter. The teeth of this star wheel have abrupt faces in the coun ter-clockwise direction in which it is to be rotated, the other sides or faces of these teeth being inclined. One of the teeth of this star wheel, at the lower part of its periphery, is always normally positioned to be engaged by the upper edge portion of the moving coin for thereby imparting a step of rotative movement to the star wheel. A second or rear star wheel 57, similar to the first or front star wheel 56 and having the same number and kind of teeth similarly arranged, is fixed upon the rear end of the shaft 54. The rear face of the lower part of the rear star wheel 57 is immediately adjacent to the front face of the upper part of the gear segment 44, which is widened upwardly at this point. v

Both of the star wheels 56 and 57 are yieldably positioned and normally thus maintained by means of a yieldable stop device. For this purpose, in the construction shown, a stop roller 58 engages between the teeth of the front star wheel 56, at the left thereof as viewed from the front in Fig. 1. This roller is journaled on a headed stud 59 which projects forwardly from the ad jacent end of a slide bar or plunger 60. This plunger 60 extends towards the, left" from the roller 58 and is supported to slide in a guideway 61 provided in the auxiliary frame plate 27 adjacent the front face of the main frame plate 23. The bar 60 is urged towards the star wheel 56 by a coiled expansion spring 62 which at its outer end abuts against the closed end of the guideway 61 therein and at its other end engages the bottom of a bore formed in the left end of the slide bar 60. As the star wheel 56 is rotated, the inclined cam. faces of its teeth will push back the stop roller 58 against the tension of the plunger spring 62 which will react to position the star wheel and will be effective to impart the final part of a step of movement thereto.

A normally ineffective coupling member is made effective by one of the teeth of the rotating rear star wheel 57 to connect the driv lng lever arm 53, in its forward movement, I

to the segmental gear arm 44, thereby to cause this driving arm to impart forward rocking operating movement to this segmental gear 44 and thus, through the intermediary of the operating parts hereinbefore described, to impart a step of rotative movement to the connecting shaft 11 and correspondingly a step of traveling delivery movement to the carrier chains 1 and 2.

In the construction shown, this coupling member comprises a two-armed pawl 63 pivoted, by means of a headed stud 64, on the forward side of the upper part of the gear seg ment 44. This pawl normally extends transversely and is urged to rock in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed from the front (Figs. 1 and 5) by a wire spring 65 engaging the pivot stud 64 and having one of its ends connected to the pawl by means of a small stud 66 while its other end is anchored to the segmental gear 44 by means of a similar stud 67 which is carried by a stop lug 68 for the pawl 63 in its spring-pressed movement.

This spring 65 has a tendency to move the end of the driving arm of the pawl 63 into the path of the outer end of the driving lever 53, but this arm of the pawl is normally maintained out of such path against the tension of the spring 65 by reason of the tail arm of the pawl near its endabutting against the end of a tooth of the rear star wheel 57. This star wheel thus forms an escapement or trigger device for the coupling pawl 63, so that upon a slight forward movement'of the star wheel the pawl will be released, whereupon its spring 65 will snap it against its stop lug 68.

The end of the driving arm of the coupling pawl 63 will now be directly in the path of the outer end of the forwardly moving driving ing to move while'this star wheel is moving to release the coupling pawl 63, as will present ly clearly appear, some free space or lost mot-ion is provided between the end of the driving arm 53 and the end of the coupling pawl 63 in their normal posit1on, as clearly appears in Figs. 3 and 5. Also this lost motion provided at this point cooperates with that above noted lost motion for the operating pawl 40'relativelyto the pawl teeth 39 of therotatable operating member 20, for assuringthat this rotatable member is in an unloclied'condition when driving power is ap-- plied thereto by the forwardly driven pin-- ion segment 38. I

A front frame plate 69, parallel to the main frame plate 23, is spaced therefrom by proiections or bosses thereon and on the auxiliary plate 27 and is secured thereto by means 7 of screws 71. The central portion of this front plate 69 is exposed at the front ofthe machine (Figs. 2 and 7) and has through it a slightly inclined coin slot 7 2 (Figs. 6 and 7 The upper or magazine part of the casing 26 is closed by an upper front door 7 3 hinged'to the top thereof at 7 4, and the lower or base part of the casing is closed by a lower door provided at its bottom with a hinge 76. This lower door is out out around the central portion of the front frame plate 69 and at its inwardly turned upper end overlaps upon the lower beaded edge portion of the upper door 73 (Fig. 2). This lower door 7 5 is provided with a suitable lock 77 to engage a cross bar 78 provided in the casing 26 (Fig. 2). v

A normally ineffective freely idly movable rocking coin carrier 7 9 substantially fills the space between the frame walls 23 and 69 and is fixed upon the forward end of the operat- 'ing shaft etf), so that thereby the driving lever" arm 53 and the coin carrier 79 are connected together for concomitant rocking movement. At its front the coin carrier 7 9 is provided with a pivot stud 80'journaled in the front plate69 in axial alignment with the operating shaft 45; The coin carrier 79 extends aboveand below its pivotal axis and is of substantially arcuate or segmental shape. The arcuate periphery of the coin carrier" 79 at the left of its axis, as viewed from the front (Fig.1), isprovided with a limiting lug 81 which may move between upper and lower stop lugs 82 and 83 provided on the main frame plate 23 for limiting the rocking movement of the coin carrier 7 9 together with the operating arm 53.

At top the. coincarrier 7 9 is provided with a coinholding-slot 84 and outwardly' inclined face of the upper stop lug 82 is substantially in alignment with the left side and upper part of the coin slot 72 and serves as 'a' gulde and support for" the inserted coin 86.

A laterally curved horseshoe magnet" 87 30 is pivoted at 88 in a notch provided in the" lower stop lug 83 and is held in place by a screw pin 89. The upper" spaced pole ends" of the magnet arms extend at an upwardinclination towards the right and normally s5" slightly overlap the'upper portion of thecoin slot 72. The magnet arms normally rest upon the upper stop lug 82, which is notched to receive them, as shown in EF igs;

1, 2, sand 6, and are yieldingly pressed 90" against this lug by a spring 90 mounted onthe magnet by means of a pair of'pins 91 and 92 and engaging at its upper endagainst a lug 93 on the frame plate 23. The pins 91 and 92 also serve as journals for a pair of small lower'and upper rollers 94 and 95 between the magnet arms. A ea'mprojection 96 on the coin carrier lug 81 has its upper inclined face normally just below the lower roller 94. As the coin carrier rocks forwardly the cam projection 96 will successively engage and release the rollers 94 and 95, thereby causing a paramagnetic slugv to be" discarded by the magnet 87 and thecoin carrier 79. 7 When a proper coin is pushed through the coin slot 72 its upper edge will engage the forward magnet arm to lift the ends of the' magnet and as the coinpasses inwardly it will be received at its upper edge between-1 the spring-pressed magnet arms, whichawi'll position the coin so that its forward edgewill be clear of the coinslot 72 inthe frontplate 69 when the coin is moved away from" this slot by the rocking of the coin carrier? 9, 3

whereby the magnet 87 also forms a coin positioning device for the-inserted coin 86 (see Figs. 1,2and 6). c l

A coiled retractile return spring 97 for the coin carrier 79 and driving arm 53isanchored at onefe'ndto a lugl 98 on the framd plate 23 by means of a'screw 99 andat its other end is connected to the lower partof; the coin carrier 79through the intermediary of a bent or curved lever 100 located for the 1 most part in a deepslot 101 in the coin'ca r rier and pivoted to the lower end of the coincarrier by a pin 102 shown as a screw, the upper end-of this; lever" normally abutting against the bottom of the slot 101-. The re'- turn spring 97 is connected to' the lever 100 below the coin carrier 7 9. The lower end of this lever projects to the left and has pivoted thereon, by means of a pin 103, a pair of reversible pawls 104 which are urged toward their intermediary position (Fig. 1) by a pair of small coiled retractile springs 105 connected to tails of the pawls and anchored to the pivot pin 102 of the lever 100. The upper end of the lever 100 is normally positioned just at the left of the coin'holding slot 84 in thecoin carrier 79 and forms a feeler for a coinin this slot.

Anarcuate saw-tooth ratchet 106 is provided .for the pawls 104 and is shown as secured to the front of the frame plate 23 by means of a screw 107 and is held in position on this plate by a pair of dowel pins 108 which may be formed on the ratchet. .When the coin carrier 79 is rocked substantially to its full extent the pawls 104, in both forward and return movement, will wipe over the ratchet 106 and escape from the corresponding end thereof. In an idle movement of the coin carrier, when there is no coin in its slot 84, the pawls 104 may reverse on the ratchet 106 to permit the return of the coin carrier to its normal position, the upper end of the lever 100 then passing across the coin holding slot 84 as these pawls reverse. A coin in the slot 84 will prevent the reversal of the pawls 104 on the ratchet l06,thereby compelling a full forwardmovement of the coin carrier 79 before it can be returned to its normal position. This prevents the loss of coins in the machine. A coin box or money pan 109 (Fig. 1) is. provided to receive the coins when they drop from the coin carrier slotv 84 at the completion of the forward movement of the coin carrier.

The means for imparting forward rocking movement to the driving lever 53 and coin carrier 79 against the tension of their return spring 97 will now be described. A tubular pinion 110 passes through a large slotted opening in the coin carrier 79 and engages with an internally toothed arcuate rack 111 on the coin carrier. The rear end of the pinion 110 projects, through and is journale d in the main frame plate23. The forward end of this pinio 'n 110 has ahead 112 jour-' naled in the front frame plate 69 in a bearing formed by a front boss 113 on the front of this frame plate. The outer end of this head is recessed to form the cup element of a friction clutch of the cone type, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. This cup element 112 is frictionally engaged by a cone element 114. The hub of a handle knob 116 is journaled in the outer reduced bore of the bearing boss 113 and is connected to the cone element 114 for positively rotating the latter.

The hub 115 of the handle knob 116 is fixed upon the outer end of a handle shaft 117 which extends inwardly loosely through pinion 110 through the intermediary of an interposedspacing sleeve 119 and washers '120 and 121 at the ends thereof. This spacing sleeve is employed-in order to provide clearance for the driving lever arm 53 and the gear segment or operating arm 44 at their lower edges when in their normal position, as will be more particularly evident from Fig. 3. The inner end of the clutch spring 118 bears against a Washer 122 and is kept under tension, which may be adjusted, by means of a nut 123 screwed on the inner end of the, handle shaft 117. This friction clutch driving connection will slip noiselessly to prevent the breaking of any part of the mechanism and will always leave the handle knob 116 in an effective operating position without lost motion.

Means are provided to prevent the loss of coins in the machine when the magazine is empty. For this purpose the forwardly directed, end 124 of an UPStZIHCliHglOCkiYlg' pawl 125 is projected forwardly through an aperture in the main frame plate 23 into the return path of the coin'carrier lug 81, so that the coin carrier 7 9 in its return movement will be stopped at a sufficiently forward position that it will obstruct the coin slot 72in the front plate 69, against the insertion of a coin. The awl arm 125 is carried by a transverse shaft 126 j ournaled between a pair of lugs 127 on the back of the frame plate 23 and is pivotally held in place by means. of a pair of washers 128 .and screws 129. v The pawl end 124 and pawl arm 125 are guided in their movement between a pair of vertically disposed lugs 130 which project from the rear of the frame plate 23. At the left of the bearing lugs 127, as viewed' from the front in Figs. 1 and 5, the pawl shaft 126 is provided with a rearwardly extending crank arm 131'which terminates in a crank pin 132.

The locking end 124, the-pawl, arm 125, its shaft 126, the crank arm 131 and its crank pin 132, all may be convenientlyand inexpensively made in one piece of a suitably bent small rod, as shown.

The lower end of an upwardlyextending operating link 133 is pivoted on the crank The-upper end of this link is.

pin 132. I pivoted, by means of a pm 134, to a lever arm 135 which extends inwardly towardsthe right normally at a downward inclination, and is pivoted on a pin shown as a bolt 136 carried by a small L-shaped bracket 137 which is attached to the adjacent sidewall of'the casing 26. The lever arm 135 is provided with a rearwardly and downwardly:

riesv on its. front face the legend. Empty.

A wire spring 140, held by the pivot bolt 1'36, bears at its lower end against the casing wall and at its other end engages the bell crank lever formed by the two lever arms 135 and 139, with a tendency to rock these arms in a counter-clockwise direction. The

upper end of the display arm 139 has thereon a limiting lug or projection 14:1 to abut against the adjacent'casing'wall when the lever arms 135 and 139 are rocked by the spring 140, the display arm 139 then assuming a vertical position.

Then the feeler end138 of the arm 135 is engaged by a package 5, this package will restrain the spring 140, wherebythe operating link 133will hold the pawl end 12 1 in its normally withdrawn position out of the return path of the coin carrier lug 81, as shown in the drawings, and similarly will maintain the display arm 139 at its normal inclined position shown inFig. 1. As the packages 5 are moved downward by the carrier chains 1 and 2 these packages successively engage the feeler end 138, thus to prevent the spring 1 10 from acting. When the last package has been delivered, this spring acts to raise the lever arm 135 and the operating link 133, which lifts the crank arm 131, thereby to project the stop end 12 1 of the pawl 125 into the path of return movement of the coin carrier lug 31 while the coin carrier 79 is at its forward position. correspondingly, the display arm 139 will be swung to its upright position. In the normal inclined position of this arm the word Empty will be concealed at the back of the upper door 73. When the display arm 139 is upright, then the legend Empty is visible through a transparent plate 1412 providing a window in the door 73. If desired, this window may be extended across the front of the machine, as shown in 7, and be provided with an opaque portion 143 for concealing the legend on the display arm 139 when the latter is in its normal inclined position.

In regard to the hereinbefore described coin-actuated coupling device, it might be noted, as having a bearing on the claiming of t ie invention, that the coupling pawl 63, instead of, as shown, being urged towards and moved to its engaging position-by its spring 65, could, by a slight'modilication, be constructed and arranged 'to be springpressed in its opposite direction of movement,

that is, to its disengaging position. In such case, the rotating rearstar wheel 57 would move the coupling; pawl intoits I engagingposition against the tension of its spring. Such a modification of the coupling pawl could be employed without other change in the coin controlled mechanism and vending machine shown in the drawings. Such a modified construction of this coupling pawl has been successfully employed with particular utility in the coin controlled. mechanism of a machine of a different kind for rendering adifi'erent service. Such a modified embodiment of this feature of the invention is disclosed in my above noted copending application Serial No. 224,052, filed October 5, 1927. Also obviously other details of construction of the disclosed coin controlled mechanism may be suitably modified or changed, according to particular requirements or as may be found desirable.

Theoperation of the coin controlled mechanism shown will now be summarized. When the coin carrier 7 9 carries no coin, it and the driving lever 53 may be freely idly rocked to their forward position, or to any intermediate position, and they will be idly returned to normal position by the coin carrier spring 97. The limited movement of the coin carrier 79 and driving lever 63 is completed with somewhat more than a quarter rotation of the handle knob 116. Any further or con tinued rotation of the handle knob will only result in the slipping of the cone clutch ele-' ment 114 of the coupling clutch clutch element 112.

When the coin carrier 7 9 carries a coin, as shown in Fig. 1, the forward rocking of the coin carrier 79 will at first idly move the coin 86 beyond or out of alignment with the coin slot 72 in the front plate 69. As the coin carrier advances, the coin will engage, substantially at the same time, the inclined cam end 36 of the locking lever 30 and the adjacent lower tooth of the coin-driven star wheel 56. As the coin moves it now rotates the front star wheel 56 and thus also the rear star wheel 57 and at the same time is pushing in the cup back the cam end 36 of the locking lever 30.

Near the beginning of its rotation, the rear star wheel 57 releases the coupling pawl 63 and substantially at the same time, or it may bea little afterwards, the rocking of the locking lever 30 by the coin withdraws its lock-.

ing end 33 from one of the locking notches 29 in the rotatable operating member 20. About this time, or it may be a little previously, the end of the driving lever 53' is brought into engagement with the end of the coupling pawl 63 and initiates the forward rocking movement of .the gear segment 4: 1 which rocks the f pinion segment 38. The locking lever 30 as it. is rocked by themoving coin will unlock the rotatable operating member '20 before the pawl 40 of the rocking pinion segment 38 has taken up its lost motion with the adjacent pawl'tooth 39 of this rotatable member 20.

A positive driving operating connection is now established from the handle pinion 110 to the connecting shaft 11 by which the inner runs of the chains 1 and 2 will be moved downward a step to, deliver the lowermost package 5. As soon as the operating member 20 has rotated sufficiently to move its previously engaged locking notch 29 out of register with the disengaged locking end 33 of the locking lever 30, the forwardly moving coin escapes from and releases the cam end 36 of this lever, whereupon its spring presses its locking end 33 against the adjacent smooth end face of the rotatable member 20, in readiness to snap into the next locking notch 29 when this 'member 20 has completed its quarter turn step of rotation, thereby positively to arrest and lock this member, and thus also the shaft 11 and carrier chains 1 and 2.

Substantially at the time that the moving coin. completes its forward movement, this coin, together with the spring-pressed stop roller 58, will have repositioned the star wheels 56 and 57. As the gear segment a l is rocked forwardly by the driving lever arm 53 through the intermediary of the engaged coupling pawl 63, this gear segment carries with it the coupling pawl and moves the lat ter bodily away from the rear star wheel 57.

Whenthe handle knob 116 is released at the completion of its forward driving movement, the coin carrier spring 97 immediately returns the coin carrier 79 and the driving lever arm 53 to their original normal position. Also, the gear segment spring 4-8 then immediately returns the gear segment i i, together with the pinion segment 38, to their original normal position. As the rocking pinion segment 38 thus idly rotates in a reverse direction, it will reposition its pawl on the pawl teeth 39 of the rotatable operating member 20, so that this pawl will then be effective for engaging the next pawltooth at a subsequent operation. 7

Towards the final part of the return movement of the gear segment 44, it will bring the end of the tail arm of the coupling pawl 63 into engagement with the end of a tooth of the'repositioned rear star wheel 57, which,

' as, the gear segment continues its return'movement, will rock the coupling pawl 63 against the tension of its spring 65, thus moving the coupling pawl to its normal disengaging position and resetting it for a subsequent operation. In case the coin should not free itself from the coin carrier at the completion of the forward movement of the latter, then towards the beginning of the return movement of the coin carrier, the rear edge of the coin will strike the abrupt face of the cam end 36 of the locking lever 33, which will dislodge the coin from the coin holding-slot 84 of the coin carrier so that the coin will then drop into the money pan 109.

' The illustrated embodiment of the invenv tion has operated successfully and. satisfactorilyin commercial use for operating and controlling the delivery mechanism of the vending machine shown, as well as of delivery mechanisms of a different construction, and also other service devices where a simllar manner of operation is required. Also the cluding a coin carrier and a normally ineifec tive dr'ving member, an axis shaft upon which the coin carrier and the driving memher are fixedin axially spaced relation for unitary arcuate movement, an initial operating' member normally disconnected from said manually operable device, and a normally ineffective coupling device separate from the coin carrier and independently actuated by coin moved by the coin carrier to connect the said driving member to the said operating member for causing the driving member to drive the operating member.

2. In a coin controlled mechanism for operating a dispensing device, the combination of a normally ineffective freely idly movable manually operable device including a coin carrier and a normally ineffective driving member connected together for concomitant movement, an initial operating member for operating the dispensing device normally disconnected from said manually operable device, a coin-driven device mounted separately actuated by a coin moved by the coin carrier, and a normally ineffective coupling member separate from the coin-driven device mounted upon so as to be carried by the said operating member to be moved therewith and from the coin carrier to be independentlymade effective by the coin-driven device to connect the said driving'member to the saidoperating member for causing the driving member to drive the operating member through the intermediary of the coupling member.

3. :In a coin controlled mechanism for opmovable coin carrier spaced from the driving member, means connecting the'driving mom ber and the com carrier together for concomitant movement, means including a handle for moving the driving member and the coin carrier, an initial operating member for operating the dispensing device normally disconnected from the said driving member, a coin-driven device separate from the coin carrier and independently actuated by a coin moved by the coin carrier, and a normally ineffective coupling member separate from the coin-driven device mounted upon so as to be carried by the said operating member to be moved therewith and made effective by the coin-driven device to connect the said driving member to the said operating member for causing the driving member to drive the operating member through the intermediary of the coupling member.

4. In acoin controlled mechanism for operating the delivery mechanism of a vending machine, the combination of a normally ineffective freely idly movable driving memher, a freely idly movable coin carrier, means connecting the driving member and the coin carrier together for concomitant movement, means including a handle for moving the driving member and the coin carrier, an initial operating member for operating the delivery mechanism normally disconnected from the said driving member, a coin-driven device actuated by a coin moved by the coin carrier, a normally ineffective coupling member carried by the said operating member and made effective by the coin-driven device to connect the said driving member to the said operating member for causing the driving member to drive the operating member, and a normally'engaged lock to prevent delivery movement of the delivery mechanism and released by the coin moved by the coin carrier preparatory to the operation of the delivery mechanism.

5. In a'coin controlled mechanism for operating the delivery mechanism of a vending machine, the combination of a rotatable operating member for actuating the delivery mechanism, means connecting said member to the delivery mechanism to actuate the latter,

an initial operating member, one-way driving connections between the initial operating member and the rotatable member for impart ing limited unidirectional rotation to the rotatable member, a normally ineffective freely idly movable driving member, a freely idly movable coin carrier, means connectingthe drivingmember and the coin carrier together for concomitant movement, means including a handle for moving the driving member and the coin carrier, a coin-driven device actuated by a coin moved by the coin carrier, and a normally ineffective coupling member carried by the said initial operating member and made effective by the coin-driven device to. connect the said normally ineffective driving member to the said operating member for causing the driving member to drive the operating member. p t

- 6. The invention defined in claim 5', in combination with a lock normally engaging said rotatable memberto prevent its forward rotation and operated by the coin moved by the coin carrierto be disengaged'to permit such forward rotation and to reengage and again lock said rotatable member upon the completion of its limited forward rotation.

erating a dispensing device, the combination of a normally ineffective freely idly movable operable device including acoin carrier and a normally inefiective driving member conr 7. In a com controlled mechanlsm for opnected together for concomitant movement,

an initial operating member for operating the dispensing device normally disconnected from said manually operable device, a coindriven star wheel device some one of the star wheel teeth of which is always normally positioned to be engaged by a coinmoved by the coin carrier to impart a step of rotative movement to the star wheel device, yieldable means for thus positioning the star wheel device,

and a normally ineffective coupling member carried by the saidoperating member and made effective by a toothof the coin-driven star wheel device to connect the said driving member to the said operating member for causing the driving member to drive the operating member.

8. In a colncontrolled mechanism for-operating a dispensing device, the combination of a normally ineifectivefreely idly movable, rocking'drivingarm, a freely idly movable rocking coin carrier, means connecting the driving arm and the coin carrier together for concomitantrocking movement stop means for limiting'such rocking movement, means including a handle for rocking the driving arm and the coin carrier, a rocking arm forming an initial operatingmember for operating the dispensing device normally disconnected from-the said driving arm, a coin driven starwheel device comprising a pair of front and rear spaced star'wheels connected together for unitary rotation and of which some one of the teeth of the front star wheel is always normally in positionto be engaged by a coinfmoved by the coin carrier to1mpart a one-tooth step of rotation to the star wheel device, yieldable means engaging be tween the teeth of one of the sta rwheels for thus positioning the star wheel device,'and a. normally ineffective coupling pawl mounted" on the said operating arm and made efi'ective by a tooth of the rotating rearstar wheel so a as to be engaged by'the rocking'driving arm for thereby causing the driving arm toim part rocking operating movement to the said operating arm. i

9. The invention defined in claim which the dispensing device embodies the delivery mechanism ofa vending machine, in

combination with a rotatable member formmg an operating member for actuatlng the delivery mechanism, means connecting said member to the delivery mechanism to actuate the latter, a one-way driving connection be tween the said rocking operating arm and the said rotatable member for imparting limited forward'rotation to the latter, and a spring-pressed positive lock normally engaging said rotatable member to prevent its rotation in either direction and to be engaged and released by the coin moved by the coin carrier to provide for such forward rotation the coin carrier, a normally ineifective driving arm axially spaced from the coin carrier, an axis shaft fixed to the coin carrier and upon which said driving arm is fixed to partake of the rocking movement of the coin carrier, a star wheel some one of the teeth of which is always normally positioned to be engaged by a coin moved by the coin carrier to impart a one-tooth step of rotative movement thereto, a second similar star wheel axially spaced from the coin operated star wheel,

a shaft upon which both of said star wheels are fixed so as to rotate together, a yieldably spring-pressed stop device engaging between the teeth of one of the star wheels thereby yieldingly to position both of the star wheels,

an operating arm forming an initial operating member for operating the dispensing device pivoted to rock on anaxis coaxial with the coin carrier and said driving arm and located adjacent to the latter but normally disconnected therefrom, and a normally in efi'ective coupling pawlpivoted on the said operating arm and normally maintainedout of the path-of movement of thesaid rocking driving arm and made effective by a toothof the rotating second star wheel to move into the path of forward movement of the driving armso as to be engaged thereby and thus cause 7 the driving arm to impart forward rocking operating movement to the said operating arm;

, 11. The invention defined in claim 10, in

7 I pressed towards its engaging position and is which the said coupling pawl is springnormally held out of such position by a tooth of the second star wheel which'when it is moved forward releases the pawl which will then be moved by its spring into effective position to be engaged by the said driving arm.

-12. In a coin controlled'mechanism for operating the delivery mechanism of a vending machine, the combination ofa rocking gear segment forming an initial operating member for the delivery mechanism, a spring for returning such segment to its normal position, a stop for limiting the return movement of the segment, a rocking pinion segment engaged and rocked by the gear segment, a rotatable member coaxial with and adjacent to the pinion segment, a one-way driving connection between the rocking pinion segment and the said rotatable member, means connecting the rotatable member to the delivery mechanism to actuate the latter, a rocking lever arm coaxial with and adjacent to the said gear segment and forming a driving member for the latter but which is normally inefiective and freely idly movable, a shaft upon which said driving lever arm is fixed and upon which said gear segment is loosely journaled, a freely idly movable rocking coin carrier axially spaced from said driving lever arm and fixed to said shaft,'a return spring for the coin carrier, stops for limiting the rocking movement of the coin carrier, means including a handle for rocking the coin carrier against the tension of its spring, a normally ineffectlve coupllng device actuated by "a coin moved by the coin carrier to connect 'the said operating gear segment to the said driving lever arm for causlng sald' lever arm to rook'the gear segment against the tension of its spring, and a spring-pressed positive lock normally engaging said rotatable member to prevent its rotation in either direc-' tion and to berengaged and releasedby the coin moved by the coin carrier to provide for the rotation of the rotatable member and an tomatically to reengage and again positively lock the rotatable member upon the completion of the rotative movement imparted thereto.

13. The invention defined in claim 12, in which said coupling device comprises a coindriven star wheel some one of the teeth of which is always normally positioned to be by a co n moved by the coin carrier to mpart a one-tooth step of rotatlve movement thereto, a second similar star wheel ad- 'aeent to the said ear se ment and in axial n 1') alignment with the coin-driven star wheel, a shaft upon whlch both of said star wheels are fixed so as to rotate together, a yieldably sprmg-nressed stop device engaging between the teeth of the coin-driven star wheel there- :by yieldingly to position both of the star wheels, and a normally ineffective coupling pawl pivoted on the gear segment and made effectlve by a tooth of the rotating second star'wheel so as to move into the path of and be engaged by the said rocking lever arm rotatable member to the delivery mechanism Lac comprises a first gear carried by the said rotatable member to rotate therewith, a second gear engaged and driven by \the said first gear, and means including a shaft upon which said second gear is fixed for transmitting the rotative movement of the said second gear to the delivery mechanism of the vending machine.

15. In a coin controlled mechanism, the combination of a freely idly movable coin carrier, a freely idly movable driving member, means including a handle for moving the driving member and the coin carrier, an in itial operating member normally disconnected from the said driving member, a coindriven device mounted separately from the coin-carrier to be engaged and operated by a coin moved by the coin carrier, and a normally ineffective coupling member separate from the coin carrier and from the coindriven device to be made effective by the coindriven device to connect the said operating member to the said driving member so that movement of the driving member will impart operating movement to the operating mem er.

16. In a coin controlled mechanism, the combination of a freely idly movable coin carrier, a freely idly movable driving member, means including a handle for moving the driving member and the coin carrier, an initial operating member normally disconnected from the said driving member, and a normally ineffective coupling device made eflective by a coin moved by the coin carrier to connect the said operating member to the said driving member so that movement of the driving member will impart operating movement to the operating member, the said initial operating member being in theform of a rocking gear segment, in combination with a spring for returning such segment to its normal position, a stop for limiting the return movement of the segment, a rocking pinion segment engaged and rocked by the gear segment, a rotatable member coaxial with and adjacent to the pinionsegment, a one-way driving connection between the rocking pinion segment and the said'rotatable member, means for connecting the said rotatable member to the delivery mechanism of a vending machine to actuate the latter,

and a spring-pressed positive lock normallyv engaging said rotatable member to prevent its rotation in either direction and to be engaged andreleased by the coin moved by the coin carrier to provide for such rotation and automatically to reengage and again positively lock the rotatable member upon the completion of its rotative movement.

17. In a coin controlled mechanism, the

' combination of a freely idly movable coin carrier, a freely idly movable driving member, means including a handle for moving the driving member and the coin carrier, an initial operating member normally disconnected from the said driving member, and a.

normally ineffective coupling device made effective by a coin moved by the coin carrier to connect the said operating member to the said driving member so that movement of the driving member .will impart operating movement to the operating member, the said normally ineffective coupling device comprising a coin-driven star wheel some one of the teeth of which is always normally positioned to be engaged by a coin moved bythe coin carrier to impart a one-tooth step of rotative movement thereto, a second similar star wheel adjacent to the said initial operating member and in axial alignment with the said. coin-driven star wheel, a shaft upon which both of said star wheels are fixed so as to rotate together, a yieldably spring-pressed stop device engaging between the teeth of one of the star wheels thereby yieldingly to position both of the star wheels, and a normally inefiective coupling pawl pivoted on the said operating member and made ef-e fective by a tooth of the rotating second star wheel so as to be engaged by the said driving member for thereby causing the driving member to impart operating movementto r the said operating member.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature. 7 LOUIS H. MORIN. 

